(SportsNetwork.com) - The San Jose Sharks will try to put an end to their
current scoring slump on Saturday night as they open up a four-game homestand
versus the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Sharks have been held to just one goal over their last 110 shots, losing
three in a row to fall 11 points behind the first-place Anaheim Ducks in the
Pacific Division.

San Jose had gone 160 minutes and 36 seconds without a goal before Eriah Hayes
netted the first of his career 36 seconds into the third period of Thursday's
4-1 loss to the Calgary Flames. Alex Stalock allowed three goals on 29 shots.

Hayes, in his 13th NHL game, had two of San Jose's 28 shots on net one night
after the club fired 59 shots on net in a 3-0 loss to Edmonton, a game that
saw the Oilers' Ben Scrivens set an NHL record for most saves in a regular-
season shutout.

San Jose's current slide began with a 1-0 setback to the Los Angeles Kings on
Monday.

"It's a big concern of ours right now," admitted Sharks coach Todd McLellan,
who said he thinks teams are playing them with a lot of confidence and not a
lot to lose.

"Obviously with injuries, and every team goes through them, we need some
others to pick up the slack and we've got to find that. Hayes getting his
first tonight is a nice reward for him and a good thing for our team but he
didn't have much support around him."

The Blackhawks far exceeded the Sharks' recent scoring pace in one period on
Wednesday, scoring four times in the second period for a 5-2 win over the
Vancouver Canucks.

Chicago trailed by two goals before Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, Jonathan
Toews and Brandon Saad all scored in the middle frame. Saad added an empty-net
tally and Corey Crawford posted 28 saves as the Blackhawks snapped an 0-2-2
winless drought.

"We're never out of the game," said Crawford, who made 10 saves in the third
period. "We always have confidence in our guys to score goals."

The win finally gave Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville the 693rd of his
career, moving him into sole possession of third place on the league's all-
time list.

Chicago is two points ahead of the St. Louis Blues for first place in the
Central Division and bested the Canucks two nights after falling in overtime
versus Calgary to begin a seven-game road trip.

The Blackhawks won't play as the hosting club again until March 1 when they
battle the Pittsburgh Penguins outdoors at Soldier Field. That will mark
Chicago's second game after the Olympic break and it doesn't play again at the
United Center until three days after its "Stadium Series" appearance.

The 'Hawks had won four straight over the Sharks before a 3-2 shootout loss at
home on Jan. 5.

Also, Chicago snapped a four-game slide in San Jose with a victory in its last
trip to the city on Feb. 5 of last year.